Cap for carpet roll core

ABSTRACT

A tubular paper core, about which a carpet roll is coiled, is provided at its opposite ends with a pair of barbed caps, which grip the outside wall of the core and the barbs of which can be bent outwardly, as with a screwdriver, without harming the carpet so that the caps can be removed simply and the carpet roll can be unwrapped readily.

v United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,763,619 Stone Get. 9, 1973 [54] CAPFOR CARPET ROLL CORE 2,537,184 1/1951 Dunn 206/50 [76] Inventor: HarrisE. Stone, 293 Lenox St., 7

Norwood, Mass. 02068 Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie [22] Filed:May 22 1972 Attorney-Gerald Altman et al.

[21] Appl. No.: 255,653

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Ci A tubular paper core about which a carpet tois 51 I t CH B65b 11/00 8255b 75/62 coiled, is provided at its oppositeends with a pair of i 3 32 barbed caps, which grip the outside wall ofthe core 1 Z a g? 5 1 and the barbs of which can be bent outwardly, aswith a screwdriver, without harming the carpet so that the caps can beremoved simply and the carpet roll can be [56] References Citedunwrapped readily UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,866,330 3 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures 7/1932 Thomson 206/50 CAP FOR CARPET ROLL CORE BACKGROUND ANDSUMMARY The present invention relates to the wrapping and storage ofcarpets and, more particularly, to the wrapping of carpet rolls in sucha way as to protect them while they are inserted into and removed fromstorage racks.

Prior wrappings have permitted the paper core about which a rug roll iscoiled to move axially within the rug roll and have not had a neatappearence so that buyers inspecting rug rolls oftentimes have noteddamage to the wrapper or the rug roll in the vicinity of itsextremities.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide, for a rugroll coiled about a paper tube and having an overwrap of paper, a pairof metal caps, each having a flange portion which abuts against thecoiled edge of the rug roll, a hub portion which constitutes acylindrical cylinder enveloping an end of the core and a plurality ofbarbs, that are struck out from the flange and catch the paper core whenthe hub portion is press fitted over the end of the core. The barbsprevent unintended removal of the cap from the core until they are bentoutwardly as with the aid of a screwdriver. Each cap, which consists ofintegral flange, hub and the barbs, is stamped from a metal sheet, whichis composed of a relatively soft metal that permits the barbs when bentoutwardly to maintain their outwardly directed orientation. Thearrangement is such that the caps do not allow the core. to movelengthwise through the rug as a result of protruding points presented bythe barbs, the caps retain uniformly round rug roll extremities as aresult of pressure by the flanges, and the caps are adaptable totheoutside diameter of the core within a standard range of deviation asa result of the flexibility of the barbs.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and willin part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product which is shown in theaccompanying drawings and described in the following specification, thescope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of thenature and objects of the present invention, reference is made to thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of carpet rolls in storage,and a fork lift for removing a carpet roll from its storage rack;

FIG. 2 is a side cross section of a carpet roll embodyingthe presentinvention, the cross section being taken in'a vertical plane through theaxis of the roll core;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of a cap embodying the present invention;and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the lines 44of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a storage rack for rolls ofcarpet 22, one of which is shown at 24 being withdrawn from the storagerack by a fork lift 26, which has a stake 28 that projects into thepaper core of the carpet roll 24. The fork lift thereby can remove thecarpet roll from the storage rack or can insert the carpet roll into thestorage rack.

FIG. 2 shows an exaggerated cross section of one end of the carpet roll,the other end being a mirror image. As shown the carpet roll comprises apaper core 30 in the form of an elongated hollow cylinder and a carpet32, successive convolutions of which envelop core 30. It will beobserved that core 30 extends outwardly beyond the end 34 of theconvolutions of the carpet roll to provide an extension 36. A sheet ofkraft paper, plastic film or tyvek 38 is wrapped about the roll and itsextremities are crimped as at 40 about the end of the roll. A paperheader 42, which is annular in shape and receives the core, is glued asat 44 to the crimped extremity of kraft paper wrapper 38. olding paperheader 42 in position during drying of the glue is a cap now to bedescribed.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, cap 46 comprises a flange portion 48, ahub portion and a plurality of barbs 52. Flange portion 48 is in theform of an annulus disposed in a plane perpendicular to the core axisand having internal and external peripheries. Hub portion 50 iscylindrically developed about the core axis and extends from the innerperiphery of the flange portion. Struck out from flange portion 48 arefive barbs 52, each of which is integral with the flange portionintermediately between its inner and outer peripheries and has a point54 that extends through a channel 55 in the hub portion beyond the innerperiphery, inwardly and obliquely towards the axis of the core. As shownin FIG. 2, when hub portion 50 is press fitted over the extremity 36 ofcore 30, annular portion 48 abuts against paper header 42 in order topress its inner face against .the crimped edge 40 of kraft paper wrapper38 and the point 54 of each barb 52 rides along the core extremity 36until, when the flange portion reaches header 42 and is pressed slightlyagainst it, the barb point catches core 36. Preferably, each cap isstamped from a steel sheet.

OPERATION In operation, a carpet, particularly broadloorn, is convolutedabout a paper core 30 to from a carpet roll, a kraft paper, plastic filmor tyvek wrapper 38 is enveloped about the carpet roll and itsextremities 40 are crimped about the opposite endsof the roll. Typicallythe paper core has an outside diameter ranging between 3-% inch and 4-%inch and the opposite core extremities project outwardly from oppositeends of the carpet roll about 4 inches each. Thereafter paper headershaving moist glue at their inner faces, are fitted over the opposed coreends 36 into contact with the crimped extremities 40 of the wrapper.Thereafter barbed caps 46 are fitted over the opposed core ends so thattheir flange portions are in contact with the outer faces of the paperheaders and their barbs project into the opposed core ends 36. When itis desired to remove the caps from the core ends, a screwdriver isinserted into and twisted within the space 56 underlying any barb 52 inorder to bend the barb outwardly out of Contact with the core. The metalis soft enough so that the bark can be bent easily beyond its elasticlimit in order to maintain its outwardly extending position. When allthe barbs have been so outwardly bent, cap 46 may be readily removedfrom the core, wrapper 38 may be readily ripped from the roll, and thecarpet exposed for uncoiling.

Since certain changes may be made in the foregoing disclosure withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention herein involved, it isintended that all matter contained in the foregoing specification andshown in the accompanying drawings be interperted in an illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A cap comprising a flange portion having inner and outer circularperipheries, a hub portion extending from the inner periphery of saidshank portion, and a plurality of barbs struck from said flange portion,the inner extremity of each barb being integral with a portion of saidflange portion and the outer extremities of said barbs extending beyondsaid inner periphery and having points projecting obliquely throughchannels in said hub portion toward the axis of said hub portion.

2. The cap of claim 1 wherein said flange portion and said hub portionhave the same axis.

3. A process for storing rugs, said process comprising the steps ofcoiling a rug about a tubular paper core to form a rug roll, wrapping apaper sheet about said rug roll and crimping the ends of said papersheet about the ends of said rug roll, pressing a pair of paper headersagainst the crimped ends of said paper sheet, said headers having inneropenings fitted on the opposed ends of said cores and inner faces gluedto said crimped ends of said paper sheet, and press fitting over saidcores a pair of caps, each cap comprising a flange portion having innerand outer circular peripheries, a hub portion extending from the innerperiphery of said shank portion, the inner extremity of each barb beingintegral with a portion of said flange portion and the outer extremitiesof said barbs extending beyond said inner periphery and having pointsprojecting obliquely through channels in said hub portion toward theaxis of said hub portion, said hub portion being directed outwardly fromsaid flange portion, said barbs catching the ends of said core.

* i l 1.! t

1. A cap comprising a flange portion having inner and outer circularperipheries, a hub portion extending from the inner periphery of saidshank portion, and a plurality of barbs struck from said flange portion,the inner extremity of each barb being integral with a portion of saidflange portion and the outer extremities of said barbs extending beyondsaid inner periphery and having points projecting obliquely throughchannels in said hub portion toward the axis of said hub portion.
 2. Thecap of claim 1 wherein said flange portion and said hub portion have thesame axis.
 3. A process for storing rugs, said process comprising thesteps of coiling a rug about a tubular paper core to form a rug roll,wrapping a paper sheet about said rug roll and crimping the ends of saidpaper sheet about the ends of said rug roll, pressing a pair of paperheaders against the crimped ends of said paper sheet, said headershaving inner openings fitted on the opposed ends of said cores and innerfaces glued to said crimped ends of said paper sheet, and press fittingover said cores a pair of caps, each cap comprising a flange portionhaving inner and outer circular peripheries, a hub portion extendingfrom the inner periphery of said shank portion, and a plurality of barbsstruck from said flange portion, the inner extremity of each barb beingintegral with a portion of said flange portion and the outer extremitiesof said barbs extending beyond said inner periphery and having pointsprojecting obliquely through channels in said hub portion toward theaxis of said hub portion, said hub portion being directed outwardly fromsaid flange portion, said barbs catching the ends of said core.